Edmund's Technoblasts

iPhone 3G S

What's old is new

On June 9, 2009 Apple Inc. announced the iPhone 3G S. The S stands for speed (Apple's words, not mine), however you may not be able to take advantage of that speed due to AT&T not having viable network capability to support it.  There are features that are bundled with iPhone OS 3.0 and therefore will not be mentioned since any iPhone user can get them. Let's take a look at the new features of the iPhone 3G-S

1. Up to 2x faster than the iPhone 3G
   
2. Video Camera
3. 3MP Camera (still no flash!)
4. Voice Control
5. Compass
6. Accessibility

The Rundown: Mobile devices have had voice command for a very long time now so the inclusion of it on the iPhone is not exciting, it's expected. The fact that I can use it to control my music is a nice feature but not a wow factor. This is also true of the video camera, however, having the ability to edit out a clip of the video and post it to my favorite sharing site is a great feature. The camera has been upgraded to 3MP and has autofocus along with a feature that allows you to tap on any portion of the photo to adjust the focus on the tapped item-nice feature. Apple still has not included a flash, which is disheartening, because it would have made a world of difference. A digital compass is built in to the new iPhone which works with Google Maps to let you know which way you are facing by automatically rotating the map specific to your orientation-ok feature, but there are GPS apps that already does this for you. Another features is the Accessibility package, which includes VoiceOver-on screen reader, TTY support, High Contrast, and Mono Audio-channel audio signal to one earbud for those with hearing impairment.

Overall, the actual new features are not enough for me to recommend the iPhone 3G S. The form factor of the iPhone is what makes it a great and innovative mobile device. Apple has successfully integrated a phone and desktop into one device; however, going through multiple versions to get features that everyone expects and already has on other devices is what is keeping Apple from surpassing RIM in the mobile device arena.

-Edmund

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Edmund's Technoblasts

iPhone 3.o

Upcoming iPhone/iPod Touch 3.0 update (Specific to users and not developers)


The bulk of the update for the iPhone/and iPod Touch are more for developers rather than end users. Great new ways for you to monetize your application and nickel and dime your customers. If you are hoping to create the next great app or be the next Trism story; then you should be very excited about this update, if not; then you should feel like Apple has finally got its proverbial head out of the sand (or something else if you prefer). The upcoming update for the iPhone and iPod Touch finally addresses many of the issues users have bemoaned about since their debut. Never mind the fact that Apple addresses end users at the end of the keynote. Now that the disclaimer that Apple should have expressed, let's take a look at what is in store for the end user.

The pluses: MMS, Bluetooth 3.o support/USB Tethering, Cut, Copy, and Paste, and core applications getting a landscape keyboard.

The minuses: iPod Touch users still have to pay for the upgrade-ridiculous.

Check back later when the final release comes out. At the moment Apple is on its fifth beta version, which you can only get if you are a developer.

--Edmund